Sleep Your Way to Skinny

Count more sheep and you can count on a lower body fat.

Not seeing the changes you want in your body? It is possible that you aren’t getting enough sleep. You may think that staying awake longer and getting less sleep means that you are going to burn even more calories. Well that is partly true. You will burn a few more calories that day, however, how your body reacts to the lack of sleep the following days will reverse the effect of that small excess burn that you did get.

I know it just doesn’t seem right when you’re following the Bombshell Fitness food plan, kicking butt on your Bombshell cardio and getting in every Bombshell workout. But our bodies need sleep just as much as it needs the workouts and the cardio. Your health, wellbeing and metabolism depend on it.

Why sleep loss leads to weight gain

Mental alertness decreases

When you don’t get enough sleep your brain cannot function properly and your thoughts become unclear. This means you may be less likely to say no to the goodies in the office break room or the drive thru you’re passing. Making sure that you get enough sleep each night helps to keep you on track more effectively and your willpower at its highest.

Your body goes into stress mode

Less sleep puts your body into stress mode. We all know what happens when we stress. That’s right-those pesky cortisol levels begin to rise. When they go up so do our cravings for comfort foods. Lock up the pantry NOW if you aren’t sleeping enough.

Fat cells don’t know what to do

I found a study at the University of Chicago that proved when women got less than 5 hours of sleep for 4 or more nights their fat cells’ response to insulin went down by 30%. This lessens the ability of a fat cell to store and release energy. This means that your body will pretty much hold on to the calories instead of burning them. WHO WANTS THAT???

Sleep Increases Muscle Mass

Muscle cells burn more calories than a fat cell and lack of sleep can interfere with the body’s ability to make muscle. With less muscle your calories might end up being converted to fat instead of fueling that bicep. Research suggests that women need an average of 7 ½ hours of sleep each night. I know that some days it seems like we don’t even get close to that. Take a moment at the beginning of the week to look at your weekly schedule. Figure out the best way to manage your time to get the most sleep you can.

Source:Michael Breus, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is the coauthor of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep (Rodale)

Comments: 1

I see interesting posts here. Your website can go viral easily,
you need some initial traffic only. There is a sneaky method to get massive traffic from social sites.
Search in google for; Twinor’s strategy

Related Posts

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
The world we live in is FAST. Instant results are a normal part of our daily lives. From instant search results on the internet, to instant oatmeal and one-click overnight shipping, we expect things to come to ... Read more!

There’s been numerous discussions online and we’ve heard the chatter offline about “Metabolic Burnout”. The blame game continues to be played with few players stepping up to take responsibility. We decided to consult with professionals to get their take on the matter and help shed some light on this hot topic.
What is Metabolic ... Read more!

Embarking on a fitness regimen can be a very over-whelming experience that can become very stressful at times, especially if your hard work isn’t showing immediately.
Many in their quest for health and fitness feel as if following a plan and going to the gym each day is all it takes to change your body. Slowly and methodically ... Read more!

By Gennifer Strobo, Certified Nutritionist, Bombshell Fitness
Just because you’re on a restricted budget doesn’t mean that you’ll be unable to stick to your Bombshell plan. You sit back and look at the foods listed for each meal and wonder just how you’re going to be ... Read more!

A 30-minute butt-shaping workout!

Are you a super busy bee wanting to give your behind a boost? IFBB Bikini Pro Jennifer Andrews has got you covered with her new 30-MINUTE FIT FAST WORKOUT! Jennifer, owner of Fine Fanny Fitness, designed this BOOTY BLASTING program using some of her favorite (and scientifically-proven) exercises to ... Read more!

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
Day in and day out at Bombshell Fitness we are immersed in coaching, training, counseling and mentoring women from all across the globe. We work with women of all ages from every possible demographic. From twenty ... Read more!

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
Whether you have recently decided to embark on your fitness journey, or you are a long time casual exerciser who has now decided to take your fitness to the next level, your daily life and schedule are about to ... Read more!

Here are 4 things to help get you started

Many people have New Year’s resolutions to lose weight! For some, this is their resolution year after year, but they cannot lose weight and keep it off. Why is that, and what can be done to successfully reach and obtain this goal?
First off all, remember that 90 percent of all ... Read more!

As kids back in the day, we were always in a constant state of motion. We never sat still for too long. We didn’t know it but our bodies were performing an act that our ancestors had been for thousands of years. Hopping, skipping, and jumping are just some of the ways our natural human instincts told us to move. The truth is ... Read more!

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
Google the phrase “Key to Success” and you will find over 865 MILLION results in under one second! Everywhere we turn, someone is telling us HOW to succeed in fitness, in our careers, in life, in just about ... Read more!

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
In working with thousands of women in pursuit of their fitness goals, I have coached women from all walks of life; Entrepreneurs, physicians, lawyers, students, homemakers and everything in between. ... Read more!

By Shannon Dey, M.S. Health Education & CEO-Founder Bombshell Fitness
We have all heard the mantras a million times with their cheerful message of success, “Believe and Achieve” or “Believe in Yourself and Anything is Possible”. However, more often than not, we don’t take ... Read more!

Reflecting back over the past year, I've decided to revisit this post and share it once again. Since writing this interview, I have competed in 4 shows this year and headed to my final show this week in Pittsburgh. Gen has led me to a top 5 or better all year long and I am honored to work with her especially when looking back at how it has ... Read more!

Today we are sharing a transformation story featuring Bombshell Fitness member Crystal Anderson! Crystal was the People’s Choice Winner of the 2016 Bombshell B-Transformed 12-Week Body Challenge. This challenge was judged on improving one’s body shape and fitness, in addition to demonstrating internal transformation.
Throughout this 12-week ... Read more!

Before the summer ends, take your workout outdoors with this 25-minute fat-blasting circuit!
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds.
Do 4 rounds with no rest — so move to the next exercise as fast as you can.

By Jennifer Andrews, Bombshell Fitness Coach
To keep up a BOMBSHELL glow you have to properly fuel your face! You can treat your skin from the inside out with foods high in Vitamin C, E, Selenium, zinc, beta carotene and other essential nutrients.

Vitamin C

As our member base has grown in 2015 with so many amazing women OVER 40 and many more coming OVER 50—Bombshell Fitness is proud to cater to the changing lifestyles and fitness goals of these members. Our new “Over 40” and “Over 50” specialists will address the unique needs, questions, concerns and fitness ... Read more!

Bombshell Approved Cheat Meal

Remember all of your favorite foods that you loved as a kid? Well who says you can't have them now too. Enjoy making this with your family or friends. The kids will love being involved in it. Let them crush the cereal or shake the bag. Mine like pressing their thumb in the cookies to add the jelly. Just ... Read more!

It’s easy to neglect your skin when you are putting so much time, thought and effort in to making sure that every body part from head to toe is getting slimmer and tighter. But why put in all the work only to have dull, uneven skin?
You eat all these great foods to create a healthy body from the inside out. Why not make sure you are working ... Read more!